The Political Junkie offers an outside-looking- in view of the US. Each day, we will highlight news and opinion pieces from around the world that are focused on US politics and policy. Agree or disagree with the opinions you will read but take a few minutes to see yourselves as others see you.

Pages

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Russia: Finding fault with Obama

PJ: Disdain for US policies runs deep with many around the world. While President Obama receives praise by many, some hold him accountable for the policies of his predecessors as you will read in the following piece, translated from its original Portuguese for Pravda.

Pravda

Obama and imperialist messianism
by Miguel Urbano Rodrigues

"Obama's speech on the State of the Union in Europe has triggered a torrent of praise. On television, radio and newspapers analysts of the bourgeoisie reacted enthusiastically to the U.S. president's speech. They virtually identified him as the providential statesman, Barack Obama, at the helm of the White House who will save humanity.

"It is on record that his speech was interrupted by applause 75 times by the congressmen as the outline of his new strategy favorably impressed the opposition.

"The satisfaction of the Republicans is understandable now that they have a majority in the House of Representatives. He also praised the Wall Street tycoons and large corporations.

"Barack Obama's speech was marked by a sharp turn to the right of his previously stated policies. The balance of the speech was the swinging of the president's promises which justify the fear that in the second half of his mandate, not only will he abandon the humanist social projects that generated hope for millions of Americans as he ostensibly will favor more financial capital and radicalize a foreign policy marked by aggressiveness and ambition for global hegemony.

"Stripped of his populist rhetoric, what is left of the presidential address - an exercise in hypocrisy - an hour's State of the Union?"